Wednesday's Woman: Darla Dixon

is known around Snellville as a go-to person for what's happening. She's one of those people who knows that person who knows another person, and so on.

Having been a resident of Snellville for the past 18 years, it kind of comes with the territory. Her four children -- 18-year-old twin daughters and boys ages 8 and 6 -- also keep her quite busy around the city.

And, she also really likes Snellville. (Except, she added, the .)

"I like the sense of community," Dixon said. "It's a great place to raise a family. People are friendly.

"I can make two to three new friends every time I grocery shop. In many cities, I'm sure people go shopping and don't talk to a single person."

Dixon has used her personality and natural curiosity to run a local website about, what else, Snellville. In 2005, she was looking on the Internet for things to do in the city. She came across the city's website, a church website and a political forum.

"I couldn't believe it," she said.

With a few clicks of her mouse, she created My Snellville Blog through her Blogspot account. Recently, Dixon changed the name to Snellville Today. One of her daughters created the logo, and, she also has several contributing writers.

"I always thought My Snellville Blog was sort of a dorky title," she said. "It was a name I came up with because the Blogspot blog builder program demanded a title.

"It was my blog about Snellville, so I just typed in the most obvious name. If I had known then that I would be still working on a blog about Snellville six years later, I would have tried to be a little more clever."

Dixon, who tries to bring a bit of wit to her website, has another outlet especially for her creative side. In 2000, she started an art business while working for a gynecologist. And, yes, she had a blog about that.

After 11 years at the now-defunct Waldenbooks -- first as a basic bookseller and then on to management -- and a number of other jobs, she had to leave "corporate," she said.

"It was simpler," Dixon adds, giving her more time for her art, her children and other things she deems fun, like blogging.

The flexibility of her art and website business allows her to more easily tend to her family, she adds.

"Someone has to cook dinner, drive kids around, and do the laundry," Dixon said. "But, the great thing for me is that it's not the same thing day after day. There's variety. Everything's not spotlessly clean, but the important things get done."

She's gotten behind on making scrapbooks for her children, though, and tells herself it can "be my retirement project someday."

Who inspires her as she moves through her life?

Dixon said she draws inspiration from the artist Chuck Close, whose art career could have ended after seizure in the late 1980s paralyzed him from the waist down. He persevered, and is still revered as a well-known artist.

"Most people would have given up, but he never gave up," Dixon said. "He does things his way, in a big way, and has been even more successful since."

Truly, she added, "Anybody who succeeds against tremendous odds inspires me."

So, it makes sense what this Snellville mom and wife tries to live by.

"I've always liked the saying, 'Wherever you go, there you are,' because it points out that so often dissatisfaction is with ourselves, and until you fix that, you will never be happy."

To see a current display of Darla Dixon's artwork, check out the , where some of her art is featured.